Structural members may be arranged perpendicular to one another and attached to form the corners of a structure. To strengthen the structure, the corners may be reinforced using a brace having a right angle that is installed on the outside of the corner and attached to each structural member.
A structure may be used, for example, to form the base of a cart, shelf, or storage bin. To use the structure in this manner, a post support member may be installed at each corner perpendicular to the structural members. The post support member has an open end for receiving a removable post that may be used, for example, to support a removable shelf. The opposite end of the post support member is typically squeezed from all sides, thereby creating a tapered end with a reduced cross-sectional area; this process is called “swedging”. To reduce the amount of space occupied by the cart, shelf, or storage bin when empty, the posts may be removed and the bases vertically stacked upon one another by inserting the tapered end of each post support member within the open end of the corresponding post support member of the adjacent base. This allows a stack of structures to be created.
However, the manufacture of these types of structures requires a number of parts to be manufactured and then attached to form the corner, typically by welding the parts together. This is a time and labour intensive process, which makes the cart expensive. Also, the concentration of heat at the corner can cause warping and twisting of the structure, making the structures difficult to stack. The application of heat also embrittles the structure, making the corners weak and susceptible to breakage. When a load is applied to the posts they can become wedged within the tapered end of the post support member, making them difficult to remove; also, the posts can cause the tapered ends to spread, allowing the posts to be inserted to a non-uniform depth. Structures made in this manner often have jagged or sharp corners that can pose a safety hazard for people working with the structure. The tapered corners formed by swedging are typically not uniform and are not consistently inserted within the post support members, creating some instability in the stack of structures. Furthermore, unwanted material, such as dirt or water, can accumulate within the swedged post support member. For corrosion resistance, the structure is typically dipped in a hot bath of galvanizing material and the galvanizing material can similarly accumulate in the post support member, making it difficult to insert the post.
The need therefore exists for an improved corner brace to simplify the manufacturing process and to create an improved stackable structure.